Film Noir Cocktail Series Installment 3: From Here to Eternity

Welcome back, thirsty readers. Today we travel back to the post-war era of films set in World War II for our third installment of Film Noir Cocktails!

In the film “From Here to Eternity,” we find our protagonist, Robert Prewitt, landing in Hawaii after a request for an Army transfer. Prewitt, a former boxer, is pressured by his superiors to take up the sport again, in hopes of bringing glory to their unit. Prewitt adamantly declines, claiming his boxing days are over, which doesn’t exactly make him friends in the process. All of this hubbub seems a bit trivial when we realize it's taking place in the days leading up to the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor.

A refreshing, complex cocktail sounds like it's just what "Prew" could use at a time like this. For this drink, I took a tiki approach, giving the imbiber layers of flavor with a bit of an agave kick. A tasty cocktail might be exactly what someone might want when there's impending doom in the air. Do you feel that way right now?

We are surrounded by turbulence right now—from rapidly changing US and global politics to technology and even the weather (hello, Harvey*), it can feel like we’re being buffeted on all sides or that there’s a bit of impending doom on the air. While I don’t recommend alcohol as a coping mechanism, sometimes a great cocktail can be the escapism we need: an opportunity to focus completely on appreciating the present, regardless of what lies ahead.

From Here to Eternity

1oz Aged Rum

0.75oz Reposado Tequila

0.75oz Vanilla Honey Syrup

0.75oz Lime Juice

0.75oz Pineapple Juice

1 Dash Wormwood Bitters

3 Dashes Angostura Bitters (to top)

Combine all ingredients in a cocktails shaker.

Shake and strain into a double old fashioned glass.

Fill with crushed ice.

Garnish with mint sprigs and Angostura Bitters.

Hopefully this cocktail will be just what you need to hang onto those end of summer feelings. Let's kick back, relax, and prepare ourselves for whatever might come. Until next time, keep shaking.

*If you haven’t yet contributed to Hurricane Harvey relief efforts, please consider doing so. I encourage spreading smaller donations across multiple charities to maximize your impact. There is a great list of strong local charities published by the New York Times. The same goes for Hurricane Irma, still making her way across the Caribbean and towards Florida.